Gambling applications available for smartphones are even more dangerous than controversial fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) when it comes to effect on people suffering from addiction, a new study revealed.
The report of the 12-week study, which was published in European Addiction Research, an academic journal, claims that by using smartphone gambling apps players could lose money more easily. It says that the fact that users normally check their phones on a regular basis throughout the day, they get more predisposed to placing bets more often, even after they have suffered several losses.
Games offering gambling options for smartphones have become more popular in recent years, allowing high-stakes betting just a tap away. Moreover, such betting often seems harmless, especially with all the incentives offered to players to sign up.
For a couple of years, the gambling regulators in the country have been primarily focused on FOBTs offered by high-street bookmakers, following concerns that the machines are too addictive and the maximum stake allowed is too large. As a result, the UK Government decided to reduce the maximum stake allowed at FOBTs from £100 to £2 and the change is expected to be officially brought into action in a few months.
However, smartphone gambling applications could turn out to be even more dangerous for people who have a larger predisposition to developing addictions, especially considering the fact that online gambling games can be easily accessed anywhere across the country, as long as there is an Internet connection.
People Tend to Place Next Bet after a “Near Miss”, Study Finds
As explained in the recently published report, a common principle used in mobile games design is the mix of small wins, losses and “near misses” encourage players to remain engaged with this form of gambling.
Researchers tested how addictive smartphone gambling games were. In order to do that, they asked people to use an application which displayed a virtual scratchcard and a grey rectangle which needed to be swiped in order to reveal three symbols. As on a fruit machine, players were required to match the three symbols in order to win a prize, with the winning mounting up.
The researchers wanted to test the addictive effect of the game, so they made an experiment and stopped it from paying out for a period of six weeks. The 28 people who took part in the study, however, continued playing for days afterwards, with one of the participants placing 177 losing bets in a row. In comparison, the average number of straight losing bets before finally giving up was 40.
According to the results of the study, people tend to place their next bet more quickly after a so-called “near-miss”. Also, people who took part in the study used the application literally everywhere – at home, work, as well as in social situations.
Experts Concerned about Smartphone Gambling Apps’ Addictiveness
According to experts, most gambling operators use special techniques such as creating psychological dependencies, attracting players to live gameplay, email campaigns, special notifications, etc., to incorporate their products in users’ everyday lives.
Apart from that, anti-gambling campaigners have long urged the competent authorities to ensure stricter control in the industry, saying that the gambling laws in the UK need a major change so that they make sure that the sector is up to date with the latest technological advancements in the industry.
Now, the report’s authors claim that smartphone gambling applications are actually able to do more damage to players than notorious fixed-odds betting machines. In addition to the games’ addictiveness, experts say there are almost no legal restrictions regarding smartphone gambling due to the fact that the operators offering them are often based in jurisdictions outside the UK.
- Author
Olivia Cole
